Humans have long had a need to manufacture, build or otherwise create. From mankind's earliest origins the most fundamental need has been to provide means of survival. These means have included dwellings, tools and weapons, and other implements. One of the first type of items our ancestors learned to make were tools which have remained an essential part of our development and growth.
Today, there are tools for every imaginable purpose. It has been estimated that in over 80 percent of all homes in America there is at least one hammer and two screwdrivers. There have also been developed tools that assist a person who is using other tools. For people who must work in confined areas there is often space limitations and difficulty providing a suitable work area.
A solution to the confinement problems was provided with the introduction of the all-in-one work bench. These benches are designed to offer a suitable horizontal surface on which a person can hammer, cut, stabilize or simply observe a project. Many of the benches can be folded into a compact size for easy transportation and storage. Some can also be customized with add-on items such as a power supply, vice or other specialized tool.
While these benches do offer an improvement over previous solutions, such as two sawhorses with a piece of plywood on top, there were still deficiencies in their designs. First off, there was usually no storage space available on the bench. Whenever a person did decide to use a particular tool on the bench, he/she would have to take time attaching and securing the tool. For a tool that was used consistently in a particular trade, such as a grinder, it become a burden to repeatedly attach and remove the tool. Even though current workbenches have drawbacks, they continue to be very popular and widely used. Obviously, if there was some type of work bench that could accomplish all of the functions of currently available benches, while also providing improvements, it would be a great benefit.
A search of the prior art, which included U.S. patents and industry catalogs, did not disclose any workbenches that read on the claims of the instant invention.